Transportation Director Leah Treat earned a fair amount of sympathy over the past few days after her cherished blue bicycle, Beatrice, was stolen from a bike rack outside the Portland Building last week. As she told BikePortland.org, it was the third time in three cities the bike had been stolen—meaning she’d gotten it back the first two times someone ganked it away.
Treat was extremely lucky those other two times. And now her streak, as of today, remains intact.
Beatrice is back! PBOT crew was cleaning homeless camp with @portlandpolice Man rode up on my stolen bicycle. Busted! #ppbismyhero
— Leah Treat (@leahtreat) September 12, 2013
Portland police sent out their own release a bit ago mentioning the news. They say the suspect in the theft, Jason Lee Elmore, rode up to officers who were clearing the sidewalks of campers and protesters and tents along SW Madison between Chapman Square and Terry Schrunk Plaza. It’s not clear, from the release, if he was among the group or just passing through. The release doesn’t say what time the bike was recovered.
Update 4:42 PM: Police spokesman Sergeant Pete Simpson tells me Elmore is homeless but that he’s “not sure if he was a ‘camper’ there.”
A point worth mentioning: Treat confessed to BikePortland that she’d secured her bike only with a cable lock. Don’t ever do that. Even outside a bustling building like the Portland Building. Here’s the best primer on bike security I’ve ever read. And remember, BikePortland also tracks stolen bike reports.
U-Lock, moron!!!
I’m sure Mr. Elmore was just passing through. I’d be shocked to learn of any sort of any illegal, nay even untoward, activity amongst those noble campers.
Bikes! It’s a thing. Look into it.
Babygorilla, I’m sure he just innocently thought he was “holding it for a friend.” Those naive road warriors are constantly being grifted by slick city folk.
Not to excuse the thieves, but three times?! THREE?!! And, at least in this most recent instance, the bike was left overnight in the downtown area with nothing but a cable lock?! Baffling.
#there’soneborneveryminute
Also, don’t name your bike.
I guess she’s just a slow learner. Or subconsciously trying to lose the bike.
To be fair, I think the previous incidents involved thefts from her garages at home.
So, she apparently preaches the bike cult line, but since she uses a cable lock, doesn’t really live it. Shocking for a planning / policy type, I know.
Blabby, you know perfectly well it’s OK to name your bike as long as it’s a Dante reference (Orwell is OK too).
If I ran PBOT I’d have a secret door installed in the Portland Building, Batgirl-style, and then I’d ride right into my personal bike garage and land on a rotating turntable so the bike is pointed back out when I’m ready to leave.
Frivolity aside, the point here isn’t that the bike’s been stolen three times, it’s that she got it BACK three times.
Lots of people have had three bikes stolen –so the idea that she’s a “slow learner” or careless with her bike is a cheap shot.
Be nice to her –she doesn’t yet know about our kind of “humor.”